International

Nepal Bus Tragedy: 14 Bodies Recovered, 6 Indians Dead; No Trace Of Buses Yet

Two buses on the key highway connecting Nepal's capital to southern parts of the country were swept away Friday morning near Simaltal, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu.

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PTI
Nepali Army troops and others during a rescue operation after buses were swept away by a landslide, in Chitwan district, Nepal Photo: PTI
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Fourteen bodies, among the 65 passengers of the two buses that swept away in Nepal's Trishuli River due to a landslide, have been recovered by rescuers, while search remains underway for the remaining missing.

Eight of the 14 bodies have been identified and six of them were Indian nationals, authorities said on Tuesday.

The bodies were being handed over the relatives.

The two buses were on the key highway connecting Nepal's capital to southern parts of the country when they were swept away Friday morning near Simaltal, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu. The bodies were washed away down the Trishuli river as far as 100 kilometers (60 miles).

While 38 people were on one bus, the other one was carrying 27 passengers.

The Chitwan District Administration Office published a list with names and details of the 65 people who were on board. Three people survived after being ejected from one of the buses.

A search operation was launched with hundreds of rescuers from the police and army who searched the river and downstream areas Tuesday but have not found any trace of the two missing buses.

Nepal's rivers are generally fast-flowing due to the mountainous terrain and heavy monsoon rains in the past few days have swollen the waterways and made them riskier.